Management Information System

System
Group of components related to each other and work together to achieve a common goal are collectively called a system. 1

Characteristics of System
1 1 1 1

Group of components Related components Components work together Common objectives

Information System
A system that collects data from various sources and processes that data to create meaningful information for its users.

For Example,
Information office in our college is and information system.

Information department of Sitara Textile is an example of information system.

Computer Based Information System (CBIS)

It is an information system in which computer plays an important and integral role. Computer is the basic components of computer based information system. People can also play an important role in CBIS and usually perform data entry tasks and controlling tasks.

Components of computer based information System

1 1 1 1 1 2

Hardware Software People Procedure Database Telecommunication Link

Hardware
The physical components in the information system, which can be touched, are called hardware.

For Example Hard disk, monitor, printer etc 2

Software
Set of instruction according to which the computers of information system worked are collectively called software. Sale order processing software, inventory software etc

Peoples
These are most important components in CBIS. People control the overall work of CBIS. There are different types of peoples work in CBIS. 1 1 1 1 1

Programmers Data Entry Operators Network Administrator Database Administrator System Analyst

Procedure
There are the rules and regulations, which are followed in the CBIS. These procedure ensure safe, smooth and efficient working of CBIS. For Example Examples are Security procedure, backing procedure etc.

Database
It is a structure collection of related data about the organization in which information

system is working. All the data is usually stored in the database. It was not used in older CBIS but database is important part of computer based information system of modern days. 6

6. Telecommunication Links
These are used to connect the devices in an information system. These may be wires, microwaves or even internet.

Management of information system

It is an information system, which collects data from internal and external resources of an organization and processes that data to fulfill the needs of all the levels of management.

There are four subsystems of MIS.

1 1 1 1 1

Transaction Processing System (TPS) Management Reporting System (MRS) Decision Support System (DSS) Office Support System (OSS)

Transaction Processing System (TPS)

These systems are used to record day-to-day transaction of an organization. These are very low-level information system. Sales processing system is a transaction system.

Management Reporting System (MRS)

MRS is the natural extension to the transaction processing system. These systems get data from TPS and create reports according the names of different levels of management.

Decision Support System (DSS)

DSS also get data from TPS and used it to help decision makers in making their decision. These systems are just to help decision maker and these system cannot make decision maker. 4

Office Support System (OSS)

These are information system, which provide support in office work like word processing, spread sheet etc. These information systems also provide facilities of communication of information.

Level of management
There are three types of level, of management.
1 1 1

Upper Level Manager (ULM) Middle Level Manager (MLM) Low Level Manager (LLM)

Upper Level Manager (ULM)

Long-term planner usually plans for lifetime of organization. Few in numbers Take decision about the overall work of organization. here is more risk in their decision-making.

Middle Level Manager (MLM)

Short term planners (plan for month to year of an organization) Usually are departmental heads Higher managers decisions effect their decision Less risk in their decision Take both structure and unstructured decision Usually in reasonable amount.

 Low-level managers
Very short term planners (day to month) Supervision type job Large in numbers Higher and Middle-level managers decisions effect their decision. Usually take structured decision Less risk involve in their decision

Expert System
Expert system is software, which work like a human expert & can take decision according to the certain problems & can also provide helpful suggestions for decision making. Human experts usually feed their knowledge in expert system & then expert system take decision by using that knowledge. Expert system has not general knowledge. Expert system is usually developed for specific area of interest.

MYCIN is, worlds first Expert System.

For example,
Xcon is an expert system used by DEC (Digital Electronic Corporation) to find the problem in their computing equipment or computer.

Types of Decision
1 1 1

Structured Decision Unstructured Decision Semi Structured Decision

Structured Decision
These are predefined decisions we have some formula or rules to take these decisions.

Unstructured Decision
There is no criteria to make these decision but these decisions are only taken by

experience and knowledge.

Semi Structured Decision

These decisions have the flavor of both structured and unstructured decisions. Criteria are

not completely defined for these decision.

System Development Life Cycle

It is a step-by-step approach to develop and maintain a system. In development of information system SDLC is used very successfully now a days.

SDLC was first purposed by national computing center in 1964.

There are 8 stages of SDLC. 1 1 1 1 1 1

Identifying Problem Feasibility Study Detail Investigation System Analysis System Design System Development

1 1

Testing and Implementations Review and Maintenance

SDLC is a step-by-step approach but not sequential approach.

1

Identifying Problem
It is the phase in which the problem is identified for which system will be created.

Feasibility Study
In this stage the problem is checked and analyzed that is their any solution of this

problem. If there is a possible solution according to the situations feasibility of the project exist.

In this phase we study three types of feasibility.

1 1 1 1

Technical Feasibility Operational Feasibility Economic Feasibility

Detail Investigation
In this phase problems are investigated in detail. In this phase it is checked that what are

the problems and also user requirements are gathered. Usually detail investigation is done by four methods. 1 1 1 1

Interviews Questionnaires Document Review Observation

System Analysis
In this phase different solutions for the problems are analyzed and best possible solutions

chosen in this stage. 2

System Designer
In this stage design of a system is created according to the chosen solution. Data flow

diagram, flow charts and entity relationship diagram are created in this phase. 3

System Development
In this phase system is developed according to the design. Programs are developed, hard

ware and peoples are selected. 4

Testing & Implementation

In this phase system is tested and checked for performance. if it provides planned results

system is implemented. 5

Review & Maintenance

After the implementation of system is review after specific time period for performance.

If there is any problem in working of system is maintained to show desired result in this phase.

System Analyst
Programmers developed many years back systems and the programmers do all the investigation and analysis. Programmers were good at programming and they know about operating and hard ware systems of computers but they are not good enough to understand business system. So they always get poor information system requirements. So in those days very few information systems were succeeded and many work disastrous. Then system analyst

came into being. He is a person who is expert in programming and computer technique. But he also knows business systems very well. He is just like bridge between programmer and business environment. He is used in nearly all the stages of system development life cycle.

Techniques of System Investigation

There are four method of investigation.
1

Interviews
It is face-to-face communication between interviewer and interviewee. It is a good way of getting to the point information but it is expensive and time-consuming method. This method is used when there is a lot of time to investigate and interviewees are small in numbers. Efficiency of interviews depends upon interviewers.

Questionnaires
It is less expensive method than interviews but may not provide to the point information. It is

used to investigate to large no of peoples in short time. Efficiencies of questioners depend on how accurately they are design. 1

Documents Reviews
It is the method of examining document exists in a system. Usually this method is used

before taking interviews from the interviewee. 1

Observation
It is the method in which system analyst or investigators get users information by observing

their work. It is also used before the interviews and questionnaires.

Data Description Techniques

There are three types of data description technique. 1 1 1

Data Flow Diagram (DFD) Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) Flow Charts

Data Flow Diagram (DFD)

DFD is used to represent all the data in a system; flow of data from one point to another and

processes applied on the data. DFD is used to describe a system. System analysts communicate with each other with the help of DFD. 7

Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)

ERD is usually used to create or describe a database and show entities in a system and

relationship among entities in a graphical form. 8 8

Flow Charts
Flow charts are used to represent data flow and processes in sequenced form. Usually system analyst and programmers communicate with each other by using flow charts.

There are three types of flow charts. 1 1 1

Program flow charts. System flow charts Run flow charts.

Reports
Queries are very good in getting data from tables or existing queries but queries cannot show data to the users in user friendly way. Reports are used for this purpose. Reports can get data from tables or queries and provide that data to the user in an elegant way. There are three types of reports. 1 1 1

Detail Reports Summary Reports Exception Reports

Detail Reports
These are regular reports and created after a specific period of time. In these

reports information is provided in detail.

2

Summary Reports
It is also regular and time specific reports. It is based on detail report but it

shows information in summaries form like totals.

3

Exception Reports
It is report that is but regular and time specific. It is created when something unusual happened. Some thing is very good or very bad. It can be created twice in a day or never in a year.